Vibrating feeder



Oct. 3969 A. A. MoLn'oR 3,473,702

VIBRATING FEEDER Filed OC. 3l, 1966 3,473,702 VBRATING FEEDER Arvid A. Molitor, 1136 Morningside Drive, Elgin, Ill. 60120 Filed st. 31, 1966, Ser. No. 590,635 Int. Cl. B65g 33/00, 65/30 ILS. Cl. 222-203 4 Claims ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a flexible hopper having an auger discharge, and particularly to a drive for said auger which is eiective to provide vibratory motion for the hopper.

A primary purpose of the invention is a drive for a flexible hopper of the type described which intermittently vibrates the hopper.

Another purpose is a flexible hopper of the type described which is simply constructed and reliably operable.

Another purpose is a vibrating feeder or feeding device in which the drive for the feeder also provides vibratory motion.

Another purpose is a feeding device of the type described in which the auger and auger drive are attached together and suspended from the hopper.

Other purposes will appear in the ensuing specification, drawings and claims.

The invention is illustrated diagrammatically in the following drawings wherein:

FIGURE l is a top perspective view of a feeding device yof the type described,

FIGURE 2 is a section along plane 2--2 of FIG- URE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a section along plane 3-3 of FIGURE 2, and

FIGURE 4 is an end view, similar to FIGURE 3, but showing a modied form of feeder drive.

In FIGURE l, an outer housing is indicated generally at 10, and as shown herein is generally rectangular, although obviously the housing could be otherwise. There are side walls 12, which as shown in FIGURE 2, are supported on a lower peripheral frame or channel 14. There may be adjustable feet or the like 16, illustrated in FIGURE l, to support the channels 14.

Within the open housing is a hopper indicated generally at 18 and preferably formed of a exible material, for example, rubber, a rubber substitute, plastic or the like. The hopper has the conventional V configuration and as shown herein there may be slanted side walls 20 and 22 and end walls 24 and 26 which may be slightly slanted, or they may be straight. The upper ends of the walls 20 26 are each held unto the housing 10 by means of clips or the like 28. The clips may be elongated members, which are sufliciently resilient to hold the upper end of the flexible walls 20-26 unto an upwardly projecting ange 30 which extends about the periphery of the housing 10. In effect, the exible walls are bent over the flange 30 and then the spring clips 28 merely are pushed down onto the flange to hold the hopper in position.

ted States Patent O 3,473,702 Patented Oct. 21, 1969 rice At the lower end of the hopper 18 there is a discharge passage 32, which extends outwardly through an opening 34 in the housing. At the opposite end of the lower portion of the hopper 1S there is a circular section 36 which extends over a portion of a drive motor 38. There may be a clamp or the like 40 which holds the circular portion 36 onto the drive motor 38. At the lower end of the hopper 1S there may be a metal plate or the like 42, which is arcuate in configuration, and which may be perforated. In effect the plate 42 forms a somewhat solid lower surface for the hopper. There may be small brackets or the like 44 which are attached to the plate 42 and which mount springs 46, with the lower ends of the springs 46 being attached to a channel 48. The opposite ends of the channel 48 may be mounted by means of hooks or the like 50 to an upturned portion of the peripheral bracket 14.

An auger, or rotating screw 52 is connected to the drive motor 38. The auger extends transversely across the lower end of the hopper and outwardly through the hopper portion 32 so as to provide means for moving material from within the hopper out of the discharge opening.

The drive motor 38 may be an impulse type of motor, or an intermittently operated rotating motor, such as disclosed in my patents Re. 25,992 and 3,162,733. In both of said patents there is a rotating output from the drive motor, but the output is intermittent, or in steps. In effect these two patents disclose stepping motors. The output shaft for the motor, as shown herein, is indicated at 54 and the auger 52 is fixed to the output shaft 54 such that as the shaft rotates, the auger 52 will rotate with it. With a pulsing or intermittent type of drive, every time the motor 38 starts and stops, it will provide vibration for the exible hopper 18. The motor 38 is suspended from the hopper and the lower portion of the hopper is attached by springs to the frame. The rotating force caused by starting and stopping of the motor 38 will give vibration, principally in the horizontal plane, to the hopper 18 so that the material within the hopper will be shaken up. In some types of materials, which are sticky, or gummy, or which have a tendency to adhere to each other, it is desirable to shake the material as it is augered out of the lower end.

FIGURE 4 illustrates a modied form of drive which can also impart intermittent vibration to the hopper. In this case, the drive motor is indicated at 56 and there may be a cam 58 attached to one end of the drive motor. The drive motor 56 may be a continuously running motor, as contrasted to the intermittent drive 38. Cam 58 is in contact with a roller 60 mounted between a pair of brackets 62, with the brackets 62 extending upwardly from the channel 14 forming a bottom portion of the frame. Rotation of the cam S8 is in the direction of arrow 64 so that there is vibration given to the motor, and hence the hopper and the auger as the cam rotates on roller 60. This vibration will be effective to move the hopper in a transverse direction or in a horizontal plane.

The invention should not be limited to the particular types of drives shown. There are many other drive arrangements in which the driving force for the auger can also be used to impart vibrating motion to the hopper. For example, a water motor, such as used in a laWn sprinkler, may be used. Such a drive has particular advantage where the output from the hopper is fed to a mixing tank with an eductor being used to pick up a slurry from the tank. With a Water motor there would be a cam arrangement for providing vibration.

In essence, the invention consists of a flexible hopper, an auger for moving material out of the ilexible hopper, a drive for the auger, and means whereby the auger drive can impart vibration to the ilexible hopper. Preferably, such an arrangement mounts the drive for the auger onto the hopper so that the drive is suspended from the hopper.

There may be yielding means, such as springs, which hold the bottom of the hopper to the frame.

Whereas the preferred form of the invention has been shown and described herein, it should be realized that there are many modications, substitutions and alterations thereto within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a feeder device, a housing, a hopper suspended from an upper portion of said housing, said hopper being formed of a flexible material, a discharge opening adjacent the lower end of said hopper, a transverse auger in the lower end of said hopper in alignment with said discharge opening, intermittently operable drive means at tached to said auger and suspended from said hopper for rotating said auger to move material in the hopper out of said discharge opening, said drive means including means for periodically imparting vibration to said flexible hopper, and spring means connecting the lower portion of said hopper and said housing.

2. The structure of claim 1 further characterized by and including an arcuate plate forming the lower portion of said hopper, with said spring means being attached to said arcuate plate.

3. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that the means for periodically imparting vibration to said flexible hopper include a cam, driven by said drive means, said cam being in contact with a portion of said housing, such that rotation of said cam, by said drive means, moves the hopper relative to the housing.

4. The structure of claim 3 further characterized in that said cam is driven by said drive means, and a projection on the housing positioned to be in contact with said cam as it rotates such that movement of the cam imparts vibration to the drive motor, auger and hopper.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,319,534 10/1919 Robertson 222-201 X 2,900,109 8/ 1959 Hoopes et al 222--203 K ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner 20 F. R. HANDREN, Assistant Examiner U.S. C1. XR. 

